Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide behind cardiovascular disease. The most common types of cancer are prostate, lung, and colorectal cancer in males and breast, colorectal, and lung cancer in females. The latest study suggests that oral, cervical and breast cancers increased by 324% between 2017 and 2018. The study was conducted by national health profile.
Out of 6.5 crores, nearly 1.6 lakhs people were diagnosed with one of the above mention cancer types in 2018. The total number of people visiting the clinic have merely doubled in 2017-2018, ie, from 3.5- 6-6 crore. The reasons for increasing cases have been mentioned like our lifestyle change, environmental changes and nitrosamines constituting a significant source of carcinogens in the human diet. Also, environmental contaminants in food are one of the causes.
One more factor mainly observed by doctors is Cholesterol. By lowering cholesterol level, the body’s ability to fight cancer is also increased. In India, Gujarat has recorded the highest number of cancer cases in 2018. The diet with a lot of sugar and saturated oils are one of the reasons. The next followed states are Karnataka, Maharastra, Telangana and West Bengal. In Gujarat, the case increased shockingly from 3900 to 72169 cases in one year.
Dr. Harpreet Singh, a senior oncologist from Action Cancer Hospital, stressed on the point that the consumption of tobacco and smoking cigarettes are increasing cancers. Doing so will trigger the body for oral, lung cancers. In women, doctor recommend breastfeeding to eradicate breast cancer and mandatory systematic mammography is recommended from 50-69 year of age.
Not only tobacco, Cancer rates are rising due to increasing life expectancy and epidemic obesity as well. Cancer risk increases with age. The longer we live the greater the risk as the multiple decades of lifestyle risk factors catch up with us. Obesity is now responsible for about a third of all cancers, equivalent or surpassing tobacco. This is due to the metabolic harm caused by long term high blood sugar and insulin levels in combination with a sedentary lifestyle promoting cellular mutation.